We get a storehouse of vitamins from beans - how to germinate beans at home or grow them in open ground
In terms of protein content, beans rank second after meat. It is rich in fiber, pectin, carbohydrates and fats, it contains vitamins A, C, PP and group B, micro- and macroelements - such as iron, fluorine, zinc, phosphorus, iodine, copper, potassium, calcium, magnesium, flavonoids etc.
Sprouting beans is popular among people leading a healthy lifestyle. Their sprouts are one of the main products in the menu of raw foodists, vegans and vegetarians. In this article we will tell you in detail how to germinate beans and what are the benefits of this product.
Why do you need to sprout beans?
Sprouted beans are biogenic products and are healthy due to the absence of enzyme inhibitors, aflatoxin and phytic acid. Enzymes break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates, making them easier for the body to absorb.
Attention! The benefits of sprouts compared to grains are many times higher.
Useful Features
Sprouts promote cell regeneration, increase immunity, block inflammatory processes.
Eating bean sprouts is recommended for cardiovascular diseases, during diets aimed at restoring salt balance. Thanks to arginine, it is used to lower blood sugar.
Also it has a beneficial effect on digestion, hematopoietic processes, stimulates removes toxins from the body, improves the condition of the skin, nails, hair and teeth.
Contraindications for use
Choose beans to eat raw carefully. Some of them contain toxic substances that cause food poisoning and disintegrate only during heat treatment.
Safe:
- adzuki beans;
- black beans;
- mung beans;
- pinto beans.
Experts recommend heat treatment of sprouts purchased in stores or on the market.. The warm and humid environment in which grains are sprouted is favorable for the growth of bacteria.
Do you want to eat sprouts raw and not worry about your health? — learn how to germinate beans yourself.
How are sprouted beans used on the farm?
Gardeners germinate beans before planting in the ground to speed up germination. Let's take a closer look at how this is done.
Basic methods
Grains intended for sowing can be treated with chemicals. Before sprouting them for culinary purposes, find out whether they are suitable for food - read the instructions.
How to sprout beans at home:
- sort through and discard dried, rotten and spoiled grains;
- rinse several times with running water;
- Fill the container chosen for soaking one-third full with beans;
- pour water about 2-3 cm above the level of the grains;
- put in a warm place out of direct sunlight;
- after 8-10 hours, drain the water, rinse the swollen grains thoroughly;
- pour the soaked grains into a flat container onto a napkin and cover with another napkin;
- pour plenty of warm water;
- ensure that the surface does not dry out;
- After a few hours, sprouts will appear on the grains.
When germinating beans for seedlings, sawdust or cotton wool is used instead of a napkin., for those intended for food, the water and napkin are regularly changed.
The speed of germination depends on the variety - on average 4-5 days, but many raw foodists eat them already on the second day.
Read more:
How to eat sprouted beans
Sprouts are eaten fresh and stored in the refrigerator for no more than five days.. Be sure to rinse the sprouts before eating.
Attention! For antibacterial treatment, the sprouts are briefly placed in a soda solution.
They are used in salads, soups, as a side dish for meat and in vegetable stews. Georgian lobio and Mexican chili are prepared from bean sprouts.
A classic Chinese recipe is sprouts., fried with garlic, ginger and green onions, with the addition of salted or smoked fish.
In Asia, red adzuki beans are used in salted form., as a filling for pies and pancakes, as well as for making sweet sauce.
For Koreans, sprouts are not just food, but also medicine.. They are especially in demand in early spring, when there is a shortage of fresh vegetables.
How to grow beans at home
Beans are a plant with a short photoperiod of no more than 12 hours.. To increase the yield, the length of daylight is artificially reduced by covering it with an opaque covering material.
This crop is heat-loving; in cold climates only early-ripening varieties are planted.. Or grown indoors. When spring frosts end and the soil warms up to a temperature above 12 degrees, it is planted in open ground.
The plant needs to be watered in a timely manner, periodically weed and regularly loosen, prevent the formation of dried crust on the surface of the soil, and inspect for damage by diseases and pests.
How to choose the right bean variety for your home
The variety is selected depending on the climate zone and planting location..
Beans are divided into climbing and bush, and those, in turn, come in three types: shelling, asparagus and decorative.
Hulling is called grain. Only beans are used for food, as the pods are hard and inedible. Its varieties are thermophilic, with a long growing season, and ripen in open ground only in warm climates.
Asparagus is called a vegetable and a leguminous. They eat green pods that do not contain hard fibers. In the middle zone, early ripening varieties begin to bear fruit approximately 60 days after germination, late varieties - after 100 or more. The harvest can be harvested all the time until frost. To the north, seedlings are planted in open ground.
Ornamental plants are planted for the beauty and health of the soil.. Like other legumes, it accumulates nitrogen in the soil, which it takes from the air. Tomatoes, potatoes and other plants love nitrogen-rich soil.
Good to know. Bean neighbors in the garden are less likely to suffer from late blight.
Those who like to grow vegetables at home plant bush varieties on the balcony or loggia - they ripen faster and have a root system no more than 10-20 cm deep, and stems up to 50 cm high. These varieties do not need large pots, a lot of soil and complex structures for tying; a stick up to 60 cm high is enough.
The climbing root reaches a length of 1 m, and the stems are up to 5 m in length. It is better to grow it in open ground. It not only bears fruit abundantly, but also decorates the area.It is used to braid pergolas, gazebos and fences, or to build supports that can withstand strong winds.
Vertical planting of climbing beans saves space in small areas. Compared to bush varieties, it is more resistant to pests.
Preparation of planting material and soil
2–3 days before planting, the soil should be dug up and loosened., and disinfect the prepared soil with a weak warm solution of potassium permanganate.
Peculiarities. The beans have extraordinary germination capacity. An intact bean will germinate in any case.
Planted with dry, sprouted grains or seedlings, depending on how soon shoots are needed. Sprouted beans are placed in the holes carefully, because they are vulnerable.
How to plant beans in a pot for seedlings
For seedlings, prepare containers with peat-humus mixture, a mixture of compost with turf soil or a mixture of garden and turf soil. It is advisable to add sand to the last two.
Further make holes 3-4 cm deep and place dry or sprouted grains in them. The pots are placed in a lighted place with a temperature above 20 degrees. After 15-20 days, the seedlings are ready for planting; they are transplanted into open ground at the 2-3 leaf stage.
How to plant beans and care for them in open ground
You need to plant in a place protected from the wind.. When it gets cold, early shoots should be covered with non-woven material. It is recommended to hill up the sprouts when they reach 15 cm in height. The tops need to be tied up so that they do not spread along the ground and do not cling to neighboring plants.
Peculiarities. Beans are not planted in their original place earlier than after 4 years.
For planting, choose loose, fertile soil. Grows well on loam and sandy loam soils, does not like swampy lowlands.Clay soil for beans is mulched with humus, mature compost and sand.
It will be interesting:
Watering beans, removing weeds and loosening the soil
Care includes removing weeds and loosening the soil. The plant does not tolerate waterlogging and needs air flow to the roots. The hardened surface of the soil must be broken up between waterings. It is more convenient to loosen with a small tool, shallowly, so as not to harm the roots.
Hulling varieties are watered as needed before flowering., alternating moistening with loosening. During the budding period, watering is suspended, during the formation and ripening of fruits - doubled, and towards the end of the growing season it is gradually stopped.
Asparagus and ornamental plants are watered moderately and regularly throughout the season.
Insufficient watering can cause flowers to fall off and ovaries, and also negatively affect the taste of the crop. Stagnation of water threatens excessive growth of leaf mass and the risk of rotting.
Potassium deficiency leads to bacterial and fungal diseases. Indicator of element deficiency: the appearance of yellow spots on leaves and pods. To avoid this, add a small amount of rotted bird droppings to the beds or sprinkle them with wood ash.
Peculiarities. To attract pollinating insects, beans are sprayed with sweet water.
First harvest
The timing of the bean harvest directly depends on its variety.
Asparagus is removed once every 2-3 days throughout the growing season. If you do this less often, the pods will overripe and prevent the development of new ones. Beans that have filled and formed are considered ripe.You need to separate the pod from the stem with scissors without disturbing the plant.
Maturation of shelled varieties requires patience. They are harvested gradually, removing mature pods and leaving the green ones to ripen. You can determine the degree of maturity by breaking the pod in two: when ready for harvest, it breaks easily, and the edges of the break are smooth, without fibers.
Unshelled beans cannot be stored for a long time. – the pods accumulate moisture and serve as a breeding ground for pests and diseases. The harvest is tied into bundles, dried, and then peeled.
Before harvesting for storage, the hulled beans are thoroughly dried in the sun. or in the oven. Store beans in a dry place, in linen bags.
Attention! You can repel insects from the harvested crop by adding a few cloves of garlic or some dill seeds to the beans.
Conclusion
Beans are an invaluable product necessary for humans. Sprouted beans are even healthier than regular beans; a variety of dishes are prepared with them. Choose beans to sprout for culinary purposes with caution—not all varieties are safe to eat raw.
Beans grow at home and in the country. Varieties are selected in accordance with growing conditions. To harvest, you need to regularly water and loosen the soil. Wishing you rich harvests and a variety of dishes at your home table!